1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a pourable or pasty composition which is suitable for use in the preparation of an oil in water emulsion.
2. The Related Art
Oil in water emulsions are encountered in many types of uses. Spreadable oil in water emulsions are suitable for use as a table spread. Examples of such spreadable products include fresh cheese and dairy based spreads. Water continuous spreadable products are often milk based and optionally acidified as disclosed for example in WO-A-97/04660, DE-A-37101052, DE-A-3822082, EP-A-938,848 and EP-A-603,890.
Pourable or spoonable oil in water type emulsions are known as spoonable creams, dressings, whippable creams and cooking creams.
However these products are microbiologically unstable products at temperatures above refrigerator temperature and show limited microbiological stability even at storage temperatures around 4xc2x0 C.
Although the microbiological stability of these products can be extended to several months at refrigeration temperature by addition of preservatives and lowering of the pH to around 4, this still does not provide products which can be distributed at ambient temperature without showing microbiological spoilage and which can be kept in a consumer""s house under non-refrigerated conditions.
The storage stability problem of butter substitutes is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,850. This document discloses a shelf stable mix which is used by the consumer to prepare a fat continuous, spreadable butter substitute.
The storage stability problem of water continuous food products at non-refrigerated conditions has been addressed in U.S. 5,935,633. This document discloses a dry powdered cheese composition comprising dehydrated cheese powder, a cold swelling starch, a calcium containing agent, one or more salts, flavouring agents and vegetable shortening. This composition may be reconstituted with water to provide a cheese product which has appearance, texture and flavour comparable to a natural cheese.
The dehydrated powder is microbiologically stable for at least 7 months.
It is known to be difficult to mix a powder homogeneously with water because of clump formation and premature swelling of chunks of powder which are closely bound together.
Furthermore EP-A-239,378 discloses hydratable powders which are capable of providing a duplex emulsion upon rehydration in hot water.
The hydratable powders of EP-A-239,378 are again difficult to hydrate homogeneously and provide difficulties if a smooth, homogeneous reconstituted product is desired. Furthermore hot water is required for reconstitution to form an emulsion.
WO-A-96/29894 discloses a fat continuous composition which is suitable for the preparation of sauces by adding water or an aqueous liquid to it and heating the resulting mixture. The fat composition comprises a fat, water dispersible dry milk ingredients, a starch, up to 40 parts by weight of water, and optionally gelatin or a similar hydrocolloid.
It was found that also the products of WO-A-96/29894 require boiling of water before a final product can be prepared, which is costly and can not be carried out at all places.
GB-A-1417952 discloses that a pasty dry cream product can be used to enhance the taste/creaminess of foods when mixed in a 1:13-26 ratio. The pasty dry composition contains fat powders (having a melting range of butterfat), butterfat/animal fat (melting point 40-50xc2x0 C.)/vegetable fat (melting point about 39xc2x0 C.), starch and sodium caseinate. The compositions were found to be not dispersible in water at room temperature (20xc2x0 C.). Elevated temperatures are required for the preparation of a spread which is finally fat continuous. The high levels of starch in the products of GB-A-1417952 were found to lead to final emulsions with an undesired very starchy mouthfeel.
Hence it is an object of the invention to provide a product which can serve as a basis for an oil in water emulsion, but which can be kept more than 3 months at ambient temperature, and which can be formed into an oil in water emulsion by the addition of a water based liquid at a temperature between 5 and 60xc2x0 C., preferably between 5xc2x0 C. and ambient temperature, whereby the resulting products are comparable in taste and mouthfeel to a natural oil in water emulsion which is prepared in an industrial process. The claimed compositions are especially suitable for preparing spreadable or spoonable oil in water emulsions.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a composition which besides being suitable for the preparation of an oil in water emulsion, can also be used as such for shallow frying and baking of food stuff.
According to another object of the invention the final oil in water emulsion which is prepared from the fat composition does not show separation into an oil phase and an aqueous phase upon storage for 2 weeks at 28xc2x0 C.
According to yet another object of the invention, the composition can be easily converted into a final oil in water emulsion, by use of simple, consumer friendly techniques.
It has surprisingly been found that a pourable or pasty composition comprising a specific ratio of emulsifier, fat blend, and a cold hydrating viscosifying agent and optionally protein, is a suitable base product to form an oil in water emulsion.
The rheology of this emulsion can surprisingly be adjusted by the careful selection of the cold hydrating viscosifying agent.
The final emulsion can be formed by adding to the composition according to the invention a water based liquid which is at a temperature between 5 and 60xc2x0 C., preferably between 5xc2x0 C. and ambient temperature, or both a water based liquid and additional oil at said temperature to reach the required oil level in the final emulsion. Mixing of the water based liquid and the composition according to the invention is easily done by shaking or stirring.
Therefore in a first aspect the invention relates to a pourable or pasty essentially water free composition comprising optionally 0-100 parts by weight of a fat or fat blend, 0.01 to 25 parts by weight of an emulsifier, 0.5 to 50 parts by weight of a cold hydrating viscosifying agent, and optionally 0 to 20 parts by weight of a protein.
In further aspects the invention relates to a process for the preparation of this composition, to its use for the preparation of an oil in water emulsion and to a process to prepare an oil in water emulsion and to the emulsion thus prepared.